Bedstead-corner-post construction.



G. G. POWERS.

BEDSTEAD CONNBP. POST CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1913. 1.988,447. Patented Feb. 24, 191i COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPM C0..WASN|NOTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

GEORGE G. POWERS, OF CHICAGO, ELINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-:HALF TO FRANK SENG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.-

BEDSTEAD-CORNER-POST CONSTRUCTION.

inseam.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE Cr. Fownns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bedstead Corner Post Construction, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved construction in respect to the application and securement of a terminal ornamental spun metal knob, commonly called the nap, to a bedstead corner-post.

It consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings Figure l is an axial section of a round bedstead corner-post having the knob or nap secured in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a section at the line 2 2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2 of a square post having the nap secured in accordance with this invention. Fig. a is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification of the device. Fig. 5 is a section at the line 5 5 on Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing another modification. Fig. 7 is a section at the line 7-7 on Fig. 6.

It is well understood that the spun-metal ornamental terminal devices of iron bedstead posts being comparatively light are quite .liable to be indented and otherwise marred in handling and shipment, and it is frequently necessary to replace these ornamental terminals after the bedstead has reached the retail purchaser. In order to render the removal of the nap and its replacement by a new one possible without the services of an expert mechanic or special tools, and at the same time cause it to be secured safely against accidental removal, the hereinafter described device has been devised.

'lhe nap or knob, l, is, for reasons of ornamentation, customarily formed with a swell or diametrically enlarged portion at such a position as la, near the top of the nap. For the purpose of this invention, there is lodged in this swell, l, a coiled spring, 2, the length of the coil being sutlicient so that when it is bent or sprung into place in the recess of the swell, l, the two Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 6, 1913.

Patented Feb. 24, lltlfef.

Serial No. 788,392.

ends of the spring substantially meet. It is not essential, however, to the operativeness of the device that the recess should be occupied throughout its entire circinnference by the spring. It is suliicient that the lat-ter extends around something more than one-half,-preferably more than threefourths,-of this circumference. The nap at the neck or lower end portion, l", is of suitable diameter to pass easily, but not too loosely, on to the upper end of the post, 3, and the diameter of the spiral coil, 2, is somewhat greater than the depth of the recess in the swell, le, so that the inner circumference of the ring formed by lodging the spiral coil in the recess is a little less than the outer diameter of the post, so that when the nap entered on the post and forced down until the upper end of the post reaches the ring formed by the spring, 2, relatively very strong pressure is necessary to force the entrance of the end of the post within the ring, and such entrance is effected only by the distortion of all the coils of the spring out of their normal position with respect to the axis about which they are coiled, with the result that the spring grips the post very strongly and prevents the removal of the nap except by the application of substantially enough force to lift the bed. This effects a practically secure attachment of the nap to the post, but one which permits the removal of the nap without the use of tools and without injury to the nap itself.

In the case of a square post requiring a correspondingly square terminal nap which has the swell usually in mitered form, instead of employing a single coiled spring, it may be preferred to employ four short coils, each being lodged in one of the four sides of the swell, la, as seen in Fig. 3. Preferably, all of these short coils, 2, may be of the same length, equal to the length of one side of the recess less the diameter of the coil, so that the end of one coil abuts against the side of the end of the next adjacent coil. The mode of application and removal of the nap with the four short coils, 2, to the square post, 3, is the same as in the case of the round post, with only this difference,- that in the case of the round post, the application and removal may be slightly facilitated by turning the nap while pressing it on and pulling it olf, and this cannot be done in the case of the square post and nap.

Certain modications of this device will readily be devised upon analysis of the mode of operation. It will be observed that es sentially the spiral coil may be regarded as a filler for the swell in the recess which is of such diameter as to require compression in order to admit the post and which reacts elastically against such compression. More specifically, it will be observed that the ller is elastically compressible by virtue of being elastically distortable. lt will be observed also that the strong resistance which the device offers to a direct pull for withdrawing the nap from the post is in large part due to the fact that the several coils of the spiral spring which press elastically against the side of the post are prevented from rolling to any considerable extent, and that this prevention in the case of the round post arises trom the tact of the spring being bent in the form of a ring so that all the coils are oblique to each other, and rolling would involve constantly shitting the point of greatest bending or torsion of the wire whose stili'ness strongly resists suoli an operation, mong the variety or' devices which may be suggested upon this analysis ot' the device already described, the modification shown in Figs. 4t and 5 is probably most likely to beeflicient. In this modification, instead of the coils of continuous wire forming a spiral spring, there are assembled upon a square axial rod or ring, 5, cupped or dished spring disks, 6, having square apertures adapting them to fit loosely upon the rod with freedoml to turn to a slightly oblique posit-ion thereon. These disks are assembled in pairs, two of each pair having their peripheries in Contact, and the consecutive pairs having an annular' portion around the axis in contact. The diameter of the disks is such as to adapt them to occupy the annular recess in the nap and leave the clear space in the center of the complete group when assembled normally on the axially supporting ring a little less than the diameter of the post, so that they will all have to be forced into a slightly oblique position to admit the post.

fr modification is shown in Figs. 6 and 7, consisting of flat metal disks, 8, having central square apertures by which they are assembled and t loosely on a supporting ring, 9, of square rod, rubber spacers, l0, being assembled on the rod alternating with the disks, the thickness of the disks and rubber spacers and the number being such as to form a snugly assembled group about the space in which the post is to be inserted, and the diameter of the disks being such as to require their deflection from normal position to a position oblique to the supporting aXial ring in order to admit the post, such distortion involving compression of the rubber spacers, Whose elastic reaction causes the disk to grip the post.

l claim l. ln combination with the post, the nap having' a peripherally extending hollow swell forming an interior recess, and a coiled wire spring lodged in said recess, the diameter of the coil being such that the width or diameter of the clear space for the post within or between the opposite sides of the coil is normally less than the width or diameter of the post.

2. ln combination with a post, the nap having a peripherally extending hollow swell 'forming an interior recess; an elasti cally distortable filler lodged in the recess, the diameter or width ot said illerbeing such as to leave the width or diameter of the clear space for the post within or between the opposite sides of the filler normally less than the width or diameter of the post.

3. ln combination with a post, the hollow nap having its neck :t'or entrance of the post adapted to iit the same, and having above said neck an interior encompassing recess, and an elastically distortable iiller lodged in said recess of such width as to leave the clear space for the post between said iiller at the opposite sides normally less than the width of the post. f

ln testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand, at Chicago, illinois, this 2nd day of September, 1913.

GERGE G. PVERS.

lli/Witnesses EMMA VALZ, ERNST A. SCHULZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or Patents. Washington, D. C. 

